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Maps

Maps

Links to View Ranger

And the online maps

Paper maps from the 2 companies

If you’re planning on following Bent through the islands, or just generally exploring, you’ll certainly need a good quality road and walking map of each island.

Depending on your preference, you might go for a traditional printed map, a dedicated satnav device or you might decide to use your tablet or smartphone with a suitable map/navigation app loaded.

Printed Maps

Everyone likes a printed map and there are 2 excellent series covering the Cyclades islands. ??????

Dedicated Satnav Devices

General-purpose in-car satnavs may not show walking tracks so, once you go off-road, they won’t help you with the intricacies of the route.

There are, of course, satnavs specifically designed for walkers which provide much the same functionality as the smartphone and tablet apps.

In either case, you need to ensure that you have downloaded the maps you need to your device before setting out.

Smartphone and Tablet Apps

Map apps have the advantage of not only showing you where to go, but also, using the device’s in-built GPS capability, they can show you exactly where you are on the digital map they display. They do, however, have a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, they are dependent on the capacity of your device’s battery to last for the entire walk or drive. Secondly, particularly pertinent in the Aegean sun, they can be difficult to read in brilliant sunshine on a hillside devoid of any trees to provide you with shade to read by. They are, however, highly adaptable and the good map apps can provide a track of where you’ve been, average speed, altitudes reached, accumulated ascents and descents and much more.

Another great advantage of smartphones and tablets is that you can also carry your copy of The Cyclades book in your favourite e-reader app for referencing along the way.

The ViewRanger App

ViewRanger is an excellent free application that’s designed for walkers and cyclists but is also perfect for motoring too. You can download free maps based on the community-sourced OpenStreetMap foundation

Google Maps

 

GPX and KML route files

Where possible, we’ve included a map in each island section showing the probable route taken by the Bents in their travels throughout the island. By following these routes, you’ll be able to visit the places Bent wrote about.

Bent didn’t always document his route so we have to make assumptions based on what tracks we think existed then and, more importantly, what routes can be walked or driven using the tracks and roads in existence today. Over the years, some tracks in the islands have been ploughed over, built upon or otherwise obliterated. Many ancient tracks still exist however and, in these cases, you’ll literally be walking in the footsteps of Theodore and Mabel – or at least those of their mules.

If you have a GPS satnav device or a map/navigation app capable reading a GPS Route File, otherwise known as a GPX File, we’ve provided a file for each island that you can download from this site. Each file contains the waypoints to keep you on track and the points of interest Bent mentions in the book.

Our recommended map app is ViewRanger as discussed in the maps section. The GPX files have been tested on ViewRanger.

If you prefer to use Google maps, or any other app capable of reading a KML File, you can download the KML version instead.

Please let us know if you find any inaccuracies in these files or if you have any suggested modifications or additions.